Evaluation of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons oil-oil maturity correlation parameters (SE Pannonian Basin, Serbia)

Abstract

Twenty three crude oils from the Serbian part of the Pannonian Basin (14 from the Vojvodina Province and 9 from the Drmno Depression) were investigated, aimed at an evaluation of oil-oil maturity correlation parameters based on the distribution and abundance of saturated biomarkers and alkylarene constituents. Factor and cluster analyses were used for this purpose. Factor analyses using varimax rotation were first run separately, i.e., of maturity parameters based on the abundance of (a) n-alkanes and isoprenoids, (b) steranes and triterpanes, (c) alkylnaphthalenes, and (d) alkylphenanthrenes. These analyses yielded 9 important "maturity factors". Eight of them, showing higher than 30 % of variance, were further involved in another factor analysis, as well as in cluster analysis using the Ward method. In this way, all maturity parameters based on saturated biomarkers and alkylarenes were evaluated and ranged, considering the fact that the observed factors represented their linear combinations. The results showed that in the correlation of crude oils from the Serbian part of the Pannonian Basin, the most important were maturity parameters based on isomerization reactions involving one methyl group in thermodynamically less stable alpha-methylnaphthalenes, ethylnaphthalenes, dimethylnaphthalenes and methylphenanthrenes, and their change into more stable isomers with the methyl group in the beta-position in the aromatic ring. Processes constituting high loadings factor 2 and factor 3 parameters were also defined. Hierarchy between the "factors" and parameters were controlled, and approved, by cluster analysis using the Ward method. Finally, the investigated crude oils were correlated by factor and cluster analyses, using all the important "maturity factors". Differences in maturity were observed between the Vojvodina and Drmno Depression crude oils, as well as between oils originating from South Banat, North Banat and the Velebit oil field (Vojvodina locality).